Terrebonne color guard to perform at Cotton Bowl

Thursday

Jan 3, 2013 at 6:50 PM

Local football fans watching the Cotton Bowl Friday night could see some familiar faces on the pregame and halftime shows.

Matthew AlbrightStaff Writer

Local football fans watching the Cotton Bowl Friday night could see some familiar faces on the pregame and halftime shows.The Crimson Belles, Terrebonne High School's dance team and color guard, are performing during the ceremonies after earning a spot during a regional marching camp. Kickoff is at 7 p.m., and the game will be televised on Fox. Heather Luquette, the Belles' dance team instructor, said the team has qualified for the past three years, but this is the first time it has been able to go.To raise money for the trip, the Belles and their families hosted a roast beef dinner and held two “Belles' night out” parties for young girls, playing games, painting faces and doing hair. “This is something we really wanted to do, so we had to work to get there,” said senior Broderica Smith. The team practiced for weeks after school to learn the routines from an online video. Wednesday morning, it traveled to Arlington, Texas, where the game will take place, and practiced all day. That night, the team put on a “make-or-break” audition performance for event organizers.“We were a little nervous,” said Maelyn McNeilly, a senior on the team. “We had to make sure we had taught ourselves everything right and that we were doing our best.”The routine, set to the songs “We Own the Night” and “Run Away Baby,” requires the team to dance with and without flags.“They have to be balanced,” Luquette said. “They have to be kind of jack-of-all-trades.” McNeilly said the team worked hard to perfect the routine. “There's a lot of practicing, and you have to put a lot of trust in your teammates that they're going to go home and put in the individual work,” she said.But senior Haley LeBlanc said the team keeps practices fun. “We're like our own family here,” she said. “We're having so much fun, and everything we do is just an adventure.”

Staff Writer Matthew Albright can be reached at 448-7635 or at matthew.albright@dailycomet.com.